Hightstown’s Community Emergency Response Team completes first of seven training sessions.
By: David Pescatore
HIGHTSTOWN The borough’s Community Emergency Response Team is taking shape after completing the first of seven three-hour training sessions on Tuesday.
A total of 11 area volunteers out of the 14 who attended last week’s organization meeting made it to the training in West Windsor.
The purpose of the team, according to borough Emergency Management Coordinator Dean Raymond, is to "hold down the fort in the event of an emergency."
"CERT is for people who like being involved in their town, but can’t make the commitment of joining the fire or rescue squad," he said.
"What happens when you have an emergency?" asked State Police Sgt. Joe Geleta, the state’s CERT coordinator. "You call 911. But what happens when there is a natural disaster? The system breaks down. You will be trained to help yourself, your family, your neighbors, and then your towns until first responders can arrive."
Mr. Raymond said a CERT team could be especially vital in an area, such as Hightstown, that has a lot of mutual-aid agreements.
"We have a health agreement with Hamilton, and that is great. But, if they find anthrax in Hamilton and Hightstown at the same time, the (hazardous materials) team is not coming," Mr. Raymond said.
In addition to extraordinary circumstances, a CERT team could be used to control more routine emergencies such as transporting medical personnel and patients to hospitals during snowstorms, manning first aid booths at community events, handing out educational literature, and manning shelters when people are displaced from their homes due to fires, power outages, or other reasons.
"I would like the CERT to come out as much as possible," Mr. Raymond said. "The possibilities are truly endless."
Tuesday’s training session was a classroom experience where Sgt. Geleta further explained the purpose and scope of the CERT.
"In an emergency, you can’t always rely on first responders. You will learn the basic skills to save your family and loved ones," he said.
He said that it was important to be prepared because natural disasters and terrorist acts could happen at any time.
"Are we in a time of crisis?" Sgt. Geleta asked the 30 volunteers gathered in the Dempster Training Center classroom. "You better believe we are. The war on terror has just begun. They are attacking our ideals of liberty and freedom."
"You never know if we will be attacked again," he continued. "That’s why it is so important to get involved. You are the patriots of a new generation."
After the pep talk, the group was separated into five groups for a team-building activity.
Each group was given five sheets of paper, five paper clips, five pieces of tape, and five minutes to construct the tallest freestanding tower possible.
Following the icebreaker, Sgt. Geleta began his lesson on disaster preparedness.
The first job for the volunteer, and anyone else, is to prepare their own home for emergencies.
Everyone, Sgt. Geleta said, should learn where gas, electric, and water enter their home and how to shut off the utility.
Everyone should have a home disaster plan. This should include fire escape routes, an out-of-state contact for family members to check in with if they are separated, and meeting places in the event that family members cannot return home.
Home disaster kits should be prepared containing enough food, water, medicines and other essentials to last three to seven days indoors.
Once the CERT member’s home is taken care of, he can respond when called by the Office of Emergency Management.
Duties could include damage assessment, search and rescue, comforting survivors, or numerous other duties.
CERT was developed in 1985 by the Los Angeles Fire Department upon the recognition that during the earliest stages of a disaster, citizens would have to be self-reliant.
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, have brought awareness to the CERT program, which is being actively promoted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and the Hightstown Borough Office of Emergency Management.
Training will continue for the next six weeks with a final exercise following. Next week’s lesson covers light fire suppression followed by Part 1 of disaster medical operations.
Future sessions will focus on light search and rescue, disaster psychology, team organization, and terrorism.
Following the practical exam, the state OEM will supply graduates with a bright green vest and hard hat, which identifies CERT members throughout New Jersey. The state also provides gloves, dust masks, a flashlight, and a multi-tool that acts as a pry-bar and utility shut-off tool.
Volunteers are still welcome and need not be a resident of Hightstown. Volunteers from areas with no organized team may be culled into a regional squad, Sgt. Geleta said.
Prospective volunteers must be at least 18 years old and able to understand English to receive training.
For more information, contact Sgt. Geleta at 538-6060, or 1-877-CERT-411.
On the Web, visit www.state.nj.us/njoem.
For information on preparing your home for disaster, visit www.fema.gov, or www.ready.gov.
Staff Writer David Pescatore will attend each CERT session and will provide periodic reports on the training.